Whiskey-aging apparatus



. 30, A s. KLElN WHI SKEY AGING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 21, 1955 Patented `lune 30, 1936 tsaar-AGING APPARATUS Albert S. Klein, St. Louis, Mo.

Application January 21, 1935, Serial No. 2,621

2 Claims. (Gl. 202-79) This invention relates to a certain new and useful improvement in containers for the aging and coloring of whiskey.

It is well known that, through and by the storage of whiskey in interiorly charred oak barrels, the required tannlc acid is presented for absorption by the whiskey, whereby the desired aging and coloring are effected. Such barrels, the contained whiskey being removed, are then usually scraped and discarded.

My present invention has for its chief object the economical utilization of such previously used and scraped barrels and to improve generally upon the whiskey-aging container illustrated and l@ described in Letters Patent No. 1,014,883, issued to me under date of January 16, k1912.

To such end, my present invention resides in the provision of an inner fully charred open-end tubular oak shell so constructed for disposition 1 within the barrel as to present to the contained whiskey an extended charred surface and yet materially reduce the quantity of whiskey displaced, all as presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing,- y Figure l isv a longitudinal sectional view of a used, scraped whiskey-barrel equipped with a charred whiskey aging and coloring shell of my invention;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the shell; and Figure 3 is an end view of the barrel, partly broken away and in transverse section.

Referring now more in detail and by reference characters to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, A designates a container in the form of a barrel comprising the usual wooden body-staves or strips i and end-walls or heads 2. Preferably for economy, though not necessarily, the barrel A is one which has been previously charred, used, and

then interiorly scraped.

B designates the aging and coloring shell, which is constructed of suitable charred oak staves or strips 3 disposed in sidewise abutting relation and secured together in tubular formation by suitable wooden rings or hoops 4. The main or body-portion b of the shell B is of reduced length and diameter relatively to the container A and, as shown, when lengthwise dis- 50 posed within the container or barrel A, is more or less Widely spaced therefrom throughout. However, to support the open-end shell bodyportion b firmly in such spaced relation from the barrel A and also permit full and complete cir- 55 culation, as it may be said, of the whiskey in and about the shell-body-portion b, some of th'e staves, as, for instance, staves 3a and 3b are elongated, as shown, and in so-called staggered relation oppositely project endwise beyond the opposite ends of the open-end body b for rmly engaging the opposite heads 2 when the barrel A is fully closed for storage, as best seen in Figure l.

It will be understood that the shell B is fully charred, inside and out, and as disposed and held as described within the barrel A, the shell B displaces but a small quantity of whiskey and yet presents an extended area, practically its entire surface, to the contained whiskey for the aging and coloring thereof, the openings 6 provided by the staggered and elongated staves 3a and 3b permitting free circulation of the contained whiskey about the shell B.

The shell B may be readily and inexpensively manufactured and conveniently disposed within the outer container A, and has been found exceedingly economical and eilcient in the performance of its intended functions.

The barrel A is provided with the usual bung 5, as best seen in Figures 1 and 2, for permitting withdrawal'of the barrel-contents, and it will be understood that changes in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the container and shell may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

1. A whiskey-aging apparatus comprising a charred wooden open-end hollow shell for dis? position longitudinally within a containing-barrel, the shell being of tubular formation and its wall being constructed of charred staves disposed in sidewise abutting relation and lengthwise and dlametrically reduced relatively to the containing-barrel for spacing the shell bodily both diametrically and endwise from the side and endw'alls of said barrel, some of said staves being longitudinally elongated at the opposite ends of the shell for endwise abutment against the opposite end-walls of the barrel for rigidly supporting the shell proper in spaced relation from the walls of the barrel and providing circulationopenings within the barrel intermediate the opposite open ends of the shell and the respective end walls of the barrel.

2. A whiskey-aging apparatus comprismg a charred Wooden open-end hollow shell for disposition longltudinally within a containing-barrel, the shell being of tubular formation and its Wall being constructed of charred staves disposed in sidewise abutting relation and lengthwise and diametrically reduced relatively to the containing-barrel for spacing the shell bodily both diametrically and endwise from the side and endwalls of said barrel, some of said staves being longitudinally elongated and in staggered relation projecting from the opposite ends of the shell for endwise abutment against the opposite end-Walls of the barrel for rigidly supporting the shell in spaced relation from the walls of the barrel and providing circulation-openings within the barrel intermediate the opposite openends of the shell and the respective end-walls of the barrel.

ALBERT S. KLEIN'. 

